Raed al-Saleh, director of the Syrian Civil Defence, announced that a request has been submitted to the United Nations through an international mediator, urging Russia to pressure the ousted Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, to provide maps of secret prison locations and lists of detainees to expedite their release.
“The defunct Assad regime’s brutality and its unspeakable criminality in killing, detaining, and torturing Syrians have prolonged the suffering and anguish of countless mothers,” al-Saleh said on Tuesday, December 10, via X (formerly Twitter).
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He called for justice for all victims and accountability for those responsible for crimes against Syrians, stressing that this is a crucial first step toward healing wounds and advancing peace-building efforts.
The Syrian Civil Defence’s appeal to the UN came after the organization concluded its search for potential detainees in undiscovered secret cells and basements within the infamous Saydnaya Prison, without finding any hidden areas.
Empty Saydnaya
On December 8, Syrian opposition factions gained access to Saydnaya Prison and successfully freed detainees held in the facility’s visible rooms and floors.
The Civil Defence continued its search with the support of five specialized teams, including K9 units (trained sniffer dogs), and support and ambulance teams. They inspected all entrances, exits, ventilation shafts, sewage and water pipes, electrical wiring, and surveillance camera cables. However, no undiscovered basements or cells were found, according to an official statement.
Diab Sariya, director of the Saydnaya Detainees and Missing Persons Association, has repeatedly confirmed that there are no hidden basements in Saydnaya Prison. He explained that all detainees had been released by Sunday morning.
Sariya urged social media users to refrain from spreading rumors about secret cells, as such misinformation has caused thousands of detainees’ families to gather around the prison in search of their loved ones.
The association clarified that the prison is now empty of detainees across all its buildings, including the “white” and “red” structures.
The Civil Defence also cautioned social media users to verify information and avoid sharing misleading rumors about prisons and detainees. Such actions, they emphasized, could deeply harm the families of victims emotionally.
The opposition factions reached Saydnaya Prison amidst the collapse of Assad’s regime, which preceded his eventual fall. Assad fled to Russia without issuing any statements or clarifications, later obtaining “humanitarian asylum” there.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
